Yao plans to open a new branch near Beixin Bridge in Dongcheng district.

The 400-sq-m establishment is decorated in traditional style and customers can order from their seats without lining up. But quality and prices will be the same, Yao says.

"Our current space can't accommodate demand," Yao says.

"More importantly, I have to ensure there's a place for our employees to go if the demolition happens."

Yao hopes her restaurant can reopen in the Drum Tower area after the renovation.

"The drum and bell tower area is to Beijing what the City God Temple to Shanghai and the Confucius Temple to Nanjing– the locus of original food culture."

Yao says of the UNESCO World Heritage List application to include the Beijing Central Axis needs to include more than the towers.

"This isn't about protecting two buildings," she says.

"It's about protecting the style of the area surrounding them and traditional Beijing life."

While Yao looks to the past and present, her 36-year-old nephew looks to the future.

"We hope Yao's Chao Gan will become a century-old restaurant."